Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cancun and Mexico City

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,398 a month against $1,567 in Mexico City, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

68

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
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Cancun Living Index
76

Cost of Living Index in Mexico City
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Mexico City Living Index

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Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,398

/mo nomad

Mexico City

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,567

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cancun and in Mexico City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cancun and in Mexico City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,398 per month in Cancun vs $1,567 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cancun $1,398
Mexico City $1,567

A couple spends around $2,267 per month in Cancun vs $2,450 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cancun $2,267
Mexico City $2,450

A family of three spends $3,136 per month in Cancun vs $3,333 in Mexico City, rent included.

Cancun $3,136
Mexico City $3,333

Cancun is about 11% cheaper than Mexico City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Cancun and Mexico City sit above the global median – Cancun by 4%, Mexico City by 16%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 MX$200

$10.75 MX$199

0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.8 MX$994

$50.3 MX$929

7.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.55 MX$213

$11.10 MX$205

4.05%

Cappuccino

$3.86 MX$71.4

$3.68 MX$68.1

4.89%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 MX$24.78

$1.65 MX$30.42

-18.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.84 MX$15.57

$1.30 MX$24.08

-35.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.06 MX$56.6

$3.32 MX$61.3

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 MX$76.3

$5.54 MX$102

-25.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.64 MX$30.29

$1.77 MX$32.68

-7.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$47.72

$3.05 MX$56.4

-15.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.68 MX$31.12

$2.01 MX$37.20

-16.42%

Eggs

$2.80 MX$51.7

$2.77 MX$51.1

1.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.89 MX$183

$11.91 MX$220

-16.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 MX$163

$9.33 MX$172

-5.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.21 MX$263

$15.02 MX$278

-5.39%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 MX$54.1

$3.08 MX$56.8

-4.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.88

$1.95 MX$35.97

-14.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 MX$55.5

$2.03 MX$37.54

48.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.19 MX$40.55

$2.21 MX$40.92

-0.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 MX$35.91

$2.02 MX$37.41

-3.96%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 MX$36.26

$1.82 MX$33.67

7.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.15 MX$21.23

$1.52 MX$28.07

-24.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.51

$1.28 MX$23.65

-4.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.34 MX$80.3

$5.27 MX$97.4

-17.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.03 MX$185

$16.12 MX$298

-37.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.59 MX$29.38

$1.95 MX$36.05

-18.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 MX$51.8

$4.25 MX$78.6

-34.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.68 MX$12.66

$0.31 MX$5.82

119.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.10 MX$538

$19.85 MX$367

46.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.33 MX$79.9

$2.00 MX$36.93

116.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.82 MX$52.1

$0.53 MX$9.86

432.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.71 MX$253

$5.62 MX$104

143.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 MX$28.28

$1.52 MX$28.07

0.66%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$21.3K MX$394.3K

$21.0K MX$388.7K

1.44%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.8K MX$439.8K

$25.2K MX$465.3K

-5.47%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$170 MX$3,149

$62.5 MX$1,155

172.70%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$23.44 MX$433

$28.77 MX$532

-18.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$38.92 MX$719

$34.45 MX$637

12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.26 MX$596

$57.1 MX$1,055

-43.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.21 MX$244

$24.81 MX$458

-46.76%

Cinema Ticket

$7.29 MX$135

$6.67 MX$123

9.30%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$204 MX$3,761

$431 MX$7,964

-52.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,396 MX$99.7K

$11.7K MX$216.9K

-54.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.1 MX$999

$70.8 MX$1,308

-23.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.3 MX$1,021

$51.8 MX$958

6.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.0 MX$1,368

$109 MX$2,011

-31.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.0 MX$1,737

$112 MX$2,076

-16.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$660 MX$12.2K

$1,051 MX$19.4K

-37.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$457 MX$8,445

$665 MX$12.3K

-31.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 MX$26.0K

$2,346 MX$43.3K

-40.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 MX$19.6K

$1,227 MX$22.7K

-13.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,266 MX$23.4K

$3,554 MX$65.7K

-64.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,945 MX$35.9K

$1,977 MX$36.5K

-1.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$801 MX$14.8K

$975 MX$18.0K

-17.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.45

11.3

1.33%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cancun: October 13, 2026

Last update for Mexico City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cancun

$457 32.7%

Mexico City

$665 42.4% 45.5% $208

Groceries & Markets

Cancun

$287 20.5%

Mexico City

$323 20.6% 12.5% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cancun

$233 16.6%

Mexico City

$126 8% 46% $107

Eating Out

Cancun

$200 14.3%

Mexico City

$203 13% 1.5% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Cancun

$125 8.9%

Mexico City

$155 9.9% 23.9% $30

Getting Around

Cancun

$50 3.6%

Mexico City

$26 1.6% 48.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Cancun

$47 3.4%

Mexico City

$70 4.5% 50.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $660 in Cancun versus $1,051 in Mexico City. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Mexico City, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $54.0 in Cancun versus $50.0 in Mexico City. Groceries tell a different story – $287 in Cancun vs $323 in Mexico City – so Cancun wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico City

🕒 Local time

12:25 12:25 PM

11:25 11:25 AM

1 h behind Cancun

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

888,797

9,209,944 Capital

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cancun Mexico City 1,300 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Cancun
Mexico City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cancun vs Mexico City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,398 in Cancun, $1,567 in Mexico City – roughly 12% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,098 per month in Cancun and $2,351 in Mexico City. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Cancun, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Kindergarten costs $204 per month in Cancun and $431 in Mexico City. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Mexico City, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $2,000 monthly budget goes further in Cancun, where all-in costs run around $1,398, than in Mexico City at $1,567. In Cancun it covers expenses comfortably, while in Mexico City it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

It depends on your priorities. Cancun has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $1,398 in Cancun to $1,567 in Mexico City. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

If budget matters most, go with Cancun. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Mexico City makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.